Iran and the United States have made some progress in their push for a deal to end weeks of war, but even halfway through the two-week ceasefire, major disagreements remain, including over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Reuters reported, citing a senior Iranian official.
The official said Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's visit to Tehran on Wednesday helped narrow differences in several areas and raised hopes that the ceasefire would be extended and talks between Tehran and Washington would resume.
It was reported that mediators in the negotiations between the US and Iran were nearing agreement on extending the ceasefire beyond the April 22 deadline set by President Donald Trump. According to the report, the US and Iran had reached an "agreement in principle" to prolong the ceasefire in order to allow diplomatic efforts to continue.
According to the report, the mediators are focusing on three unresolved points of contention from talks held over the weekend in Islamabad: Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's demands for compensation for war damage. US officials denied the report, however, insisting that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a precondition for extending the ceasefire. Officials in Tehran also denied the report.
Trump said Wednesday in an interview with Fox Business that the war with Iran was close to ending.
"The other side reached out to us. They very much want to make a deal," he said, adding that he was confident Iran would eventually give up its nuclear ambitions. "If not, there will never be a deal."
Trump also said Iran has "no navy, no air force, everything has been wiped out, they have no anti-aircraft equipment and no radar," and that the new regime in Tehran is "very reasonable."
On the sidelines of the interview, Trump also addressed his hoarse voice. "I'm hoarse because I've been yelling at the Iranians all day," he said with a smile, "You know why? Because they don't appreciate someone who is nice."
Regarding the naval blockade he imposed on Iran, Trump said he had faced no opposition from China or Saudi Arabia. "There was nothing," he added.
That was despite China condemning the move and The Wall Street Journal reporting that Saudi Arabia is working behind the scenes to have it lifted. The president said he had written to Chinese President Xi Jinping demanding that he stop supplying weapons to Iran, and that Xi responded: "He wrote me a letter and said that basically he's not doing it."
